Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPod Family, Rumors
Apparent edit to iPod Touch webpage
Take a look at this page describing the new iPod's touch capabilities. Now, look at this older version via Google cache. Are they the same?In the current version, the first paragraph reads:
"...And iPod touch features a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard perfect for browsing the web in Safari, searching for videos on YouTube, finding music on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, or adding new contacts."
In the cached version, the end of that sentence reads:
"...searching for videos on YouTube, finding music on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, entering calendar events, or adding new contacts."
It seems that "entering calendar events" has disappeared. A last minute adjustment? We'll have to get our hands on one to see what's what.
Thanks, Jools!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joshjagdfeld said 11:39AM on 9-10-2007
Gizmodo has more info on this one...
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/breaking/apple-cripples-ipod-touch-eliminates-add-button-from-calendar-297994.php
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Justin said 12:12PM on 9-10-2007
The Canadian site still shows the original text, for now anyways
http://www.apple.com/ca/ipodtouch/features.html
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brian said 2:02PM on 9-10-2007
wow... im not one to bitch about a companies decision when it comes to a consumer product... but i put in my credit card number based on what was cited on the page, and now they changed it, without properly notifying customers. i was already iffy on my decision of pre-ordering it, and this made me decide to cancel my order.
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Charles Martin said 2:05PM on 9-10-2007
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but doesn't every screenshot of the main menu show a calendar icon next to the contacts icon? I remember that specifically from the announcement video as well.
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Charles Martin said 2:10PM on 9-10-2007
And I see my understanding of the issue is wrong... sure, the icon is there, but the ability to add an appointment to it may be nerfed. Got it. Still keeping my order active (cuz the calendar was not my reason for buying it).
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MgtConsultant said 2:15PM on 9-10-2007
I am considered an Apple fanboy.
* I did NOT buy the iPhone because of AT&T.
* I will NOT buy the iTouch if the apps are crippled.
When their most loyal fan base has second thoughts and refuses to buy, that is the tipping point to future failure for any organization.
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PK said 3:02PM on 9-10-2007
I dunno - this seems to me to be much ado about (almost) nothing.
Though I do think that Apple should not have marketed this as a device with calendar-adding capabilities from the start and then removed the functionality after orders were placed, I don't fault them at all for not including the feature in the shipping iPod touch. The iPod has *never* had the ability to add or enter contacts or calendar entries and it's obviously not hurt sales. I understand that the old iPods never had keyboards, but there's never been a logical requirement in the first place for your music player to store your contacts or calendar entries. Those were useful and nice features added on later, but were never necessary to have a full musical experience. The way I see it, a smartphone obviously needs the ability to add and edit calendar entries, and Apple's smart to keep that feature to the iPhone. If people think the feature is worth the money to upgrade, they'll upgrade. If they think the lack of the feature is enough to keep them from buying, they won't buy. 'Nuff said.
And I don't think that Apple is losing their fanboy base by keeping that feature out. If I didn't have an iPhone, I'd most likely buy a 16 GB iPod touch. The calendar entry feature would've been gravy, but I want a music player. If I want a smartphone, I'll buy an iPhone. And if the iPod touch or iPhone aren't what I'm looking for, I'll either wait until Apple comes out with something I'm looking for or I'll buy from another vendor.
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Toma said 4:02PM on 9-10-2007
That's really a shame. Calendar entry was one of the reasons I was going to buy the thing.
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JoolsG4 said 4:25PM on 9-10-2007
@PK:
"If I want a smartphone, I'll buy an iPhone."
What you seem to be forgetting, is that most of the world's population (and many potential iPhone purchasers) don't live in the USA (the only place you can currently buy an iPhone).
So I think many non-US residents are looking at the iPod touch as an alternative to the iPhone, which they don't have the option of buying anyway, until the iPhone is officially available in their country.
That certainly applies to me. I don't have the option of buying an iPhone, and have no idea when I will. So an iPod touch is my only option if I want a multitouch media playing iPod with (some) PDA-like features.
Why not leave the Calendar editing feature in? Most people can't buy an iPhone anyway - so Apple wouldn't be taking away potential purchasers.
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Mark Ross said 4:45PM on 9-10-2007
#7 - I think you hit on it in your post... The Calendar in previous iPods has been well, frankly, unintuitive and an inordinate amount of effort to use at all, hence: I don't use it. The design of the Touch makes a Calendar app much more appealing and useful, and I would definitely *want* to use that, especially when I know the device is designed for it.
The iPhone is certainly the complete package in terms of a productivity PDA, but tethering it to one phone carrier and only the U.S. severely limits its implementation across the board with potential users. I think if Apple opens up the Touch instead of crippling it, the reward will be a much broader user base more willing to allow their PDA/phone to be Apple-based as those devices become available.
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PK said 4:53PM on 9-10-2007
@JoolsG4:
You make a valid point and one that I haven't thought of - this will be the rest of the world's chance to finally have a multitouch iPod. I totally understand why you and others who won't be seeing/needing iPhones anytime soon would then want the iPod touch to be as loaded as possible with iPhone features. My guess with this is that Apple has done the cost (losing iPod customers)/benefit (protecting the uniqueness of the higher-margin iPhone) analysis and decided to keep the feature out. And if enough people don't buy iPod touches or decide to go another route because of the lack of iPhone features, the market will have spoken and I expect that Apple would change their strategy. Until then, I don't think it's necessarily wrong or immoral of Apple to pull out that feature - I think it's natural and shrewd.
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mtt said 5:44PM on 9-10-2007
Here's another reason why Apple should put every possible feature into the Touch. MANY people have no use for an Iphone. They may be supplied a Nextel or Blackberry by their job, they may live somewhere without ATT coverage, they may not be allowed to carry a cameraphone, they may have 21 months left on their current contract... the list goes on.
You would think Apple would want everyone of these people to carry an Ipod Touch, as a companion to the phone, fully loaded with music, videos, contacts, appointments, Safari, and all the Apple goodness.
The inability to add appointments WOULD be a deal-breaker for me. I was proclaiming that the Touch would kill the PDA dead once and for all... not it looks like it falls a little short.
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PK said 6:03PM on 9-10-2007
@mtt:
I respectfully disagree with you - I don't see why Apple would want to cram as much functionality as possible into an iPod touch when they already have another product with many of those features that carries a higher margin with it. And if I had a phone that locked me into a contract, I wouldn't want another device chock-full of the same functionality as the phone - it seems like a total duplication of effort (maintaining two discrete devices) and of labor (always carrying two devices with me). I think Apple's thought here is: if you already have a phone and can't/won't buy an iPhone, buy an iPod touch - it'll do almost everything your existing phone can't. If you like your iPod touch enough, buy an iPhone when you can afford to or when your contract runs out or when you get AT&T coverage or when the phone is finally offered unlocked. Otherwise, cancel your contract and get a good phone and great small computing device in one with the iPhone - a device that will make more money for us and give you more features that you want.
Granted, I'm not saying that the market will go along with this - Apple may be severely overestimating the appeal of an iPod touch without those features. But my guess is that the touch will be a decent success and the iPhone will be bought by people who - in the end - decided to upgrade from an iPod touch.
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James F said 2:35AM on 9-11-2007
If you go back and watch the videos on Apple's website, the youtube app also is missing the mail button as well.
I think it would make sense for Apple to allow you to add contacts and calendar events, it really is a PDA otherwise.
I really hope the hackers can copy the Mail app from the iPhone.
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gsol said 5:57PM on 9-14-2007
That's ridiculous. It's a calendar for goodness' sake! Let people enter dates on it, Apple, and stop making it a big issue.
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